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March 28, 2024

Wheeling Mayor Dean Argiris Uses City Vehicle For Private Business Purposes –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On February 6, 2017

WHEELING, IL. (ECWd) –

Dean Argiris, the Mayor of Wheeling, Illinois has been asked during public meetings to explain his use of the city vehicle.

He responded that he can use it for whatever purpose he feels like using it for, including private business purposes.

The vehicle in question was a 2013 Police Interceptor SUV that should have been in use by the police department.

In the below video, he claims he can use the city vehicle for whatever reason he wants, including personal business and has no restrictions on its use. Kind of makes me wonder if he has ever read the Illinois Constitution, Article VIII, Section 1 (a) which states that public funds, property, and credit shall only be used for public purpose. The Illinois Supreme Court has already determined that this section of the constitution can be used to file criminal charges for official misconduct.

(Click here to view video)

It does not matter if the item is in the budget or not, using the city police interceptor vehicle for personal business use is a violation of law. It is called official misconduct. There is absolutely no public purpose for Mayor Agriris to use the city vehicle for his private mortgage broker business and for his side job working at the funeral home.

Using this vehicle is also considered “compensation” and the city claims it is not compensation – we will have to see what the IRS thinks, because this is going to them for a decision.

The city manager, city trustees, and city attorneys  are well aware of how he uses this vehicle and have condoned it either thru knowing participation or thru their silence. They cannot give the OK for violations of law, even thru an ordinance, so no matter what any future ordinance or policy might say, it can never legally grant personal and private business use of a city vehicle.

This bankrupt Mayor, who allegedly doesn’t have a vehicle anymore except for his wife’s and daughter’s vehicles, has been given full-time unrestricted use of this city vehicle, to include fuel, maintenance, and insurance (wonder if the city insurance company knows about this arrangement?) for his personal use and for him to go to his other jobs and use it to put money in his own pocket.

An interested party should file criminal complaints against Mayor Argiris and every employee, elected official, and city attorney that has let him get by with this. It sure has the hallmarks of income tax evasion, official misconduct (constitution violation), misappropriation of public property, and use of public property for personal gain.

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9 Comments
  • John Q. Public
    Posted at 14:51h, 06 February

    Exactly the first thing that came to my mind: OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT.

    Based on the info provided re:
    (1) Failed to respond appropriately
    (2) Failed to provide documentation of
    authority under which he operates the vehicle.

    If the vehicle he is operating still has indicia of official police vehicle and / or has operable emergency lighting equipment on it…he could be in for further problems under the Illinois Vehicle Code.
    Sounds like he is either saying a big
    “F— You” or has no authority to do what he is doing and he knows it…or both.

    He should be spanked hard for failing to be transparent and appropriate, not-withstanding the legal trouble he may have earned for himself.
    Next step: State’s Attorney

    • Tom C.
      Posted at 12:19h, 07 March

      You said: Next step: State’s Attorney.
      Or how about the FBI. Stockton CA mayor arrested yesterday by FBI for exactly the same kind of behavior.

    • Deborah
      Posted at 22:47h, 10 July

      My neighbor said he used the vehicle to lead his mother’s funeral process on a weekend day. Argiris is employed by a local funeral home. He said that he used the special rhythmic sound maker to get the funeral procession through all of the lights and led the funeral procession through several towns until they got to the burial site. If what he said is true then it appears that police specific instruments were on the vehicle when Argiris was using it to drive to his job and to do his job at and for the local funeral parlor.

  • G. Barraclough
    Posted at 16:50h, 06 February

    The Village of Wheeling and the Wheeling Police Dept. may be in jeopardy of loosing future federal funds and past federal funds might be clawed back. There must be a stipulation that any equipment paid for in part or whole with federal funds cannot be used for personal and private business. Next FOIA should be for last 5 years of federal money to Wheeling.

    Remember, Wheeling is in Crook County and we all know who controls that. Plus, there’s a new “sheriff” in town.

    REMEMBER BOB BREUDER

    • Deborah Wilson
      Posted at 12:22h, 11 February

      Whoa- that is scary. Thank you for the “heads up,” G. Barraclough.

  • Stacey Horcher
    Posted at 16:27h, 07 February

    THANK YOU EDGAR COUNTY WATCHDOGS FOR HELPING BRING ATTENTION TO THIS SCANDAL!

    • Deborah Wilson
      Posted at 12:21h, 11 February

      Wheeling is very fortunate to have gotten your attention in this whole mess.

  • GraciesMom
    Posted at 08:10h, 28 March

    Unbelievable and yet it’s really happening right here in wheeling. Our Mayor is a crook and he is unrepentant after being caught lying, stealing and cheating the people. He has no sense of decency or shame — those are generally the earmarks of a good leader because they will keep an honest man from crossing the line into impropriety.

    Dean needs to go. It would be gracious for him to bow out now before he is arrested for his official misconduct.

  • Katie Bowden
    Posted at 10:33h, 25 January

    Seems to me Wheeling is lead by crooks, thieves and incompetents. A great idea would be to fire the city and start all over, how much worse could it get?

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